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High schools: OSSAA to consider Class 7A football proposal

A ninth class of high school football could be in Oklahoma's future, depending on what happens with recommendations made by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association's special Constitution and Rules Review Committee.

TULSA UNION / HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL / CELEBRATION / TROPHY: The Union Redskins celebrate their win over Broken Arrow in the high school Class 6A state championship football game in Stillwater, Okla. on Thursday, December 1, 2011. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World ORG XMIT: DTI1112012318190592

A ninth class of high school football could be in Oklahoma's future, depending on what happens with recommendations made by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association's special Constitution and Rules Review Committee on Wednesday.

The recommendation made by the committee to the OSSAA board of directors would divide the current 32 schools of Class 6A into two 16-team classes for football only.

The goal of the committee was to best address the fact that Tulsa Union and Jenks have won every Class 6A state football championship since 1996, with hopes of better leveling the playing field.

“We've talked about it being an issue, but we haven't been able to come up with a solution,” Yukon superintendent Bill Denton told the OSSAA board during its regular meeting Wednesday. “We want to see if this is a viable option to level the playing field a little more.”

The new Class 6A and Class 7A would each have two eight-team districts, and 12 teams from each class would make the playoffs, with the district champions and runners-up receiving a first-round bye.

Denton, who headed the committee and also serves on the board, said the board will discuss the recommendations, likely at its December meeting, and decide whether to send the proposal to the current Class 6A schools. Those 32 schools would be able to vote on the proposal to decide if it would be adopted by the OSSAA.

“I'd have to talk to my coaches and our superintendent and anybody else who has a piece in the puzzle, but we're going to compete with those big four schools in the Tulsa area anyway,” said Mustang athletic director Chuck Bailey. “That doesn't scare us. I like the idea of 7A, but it's not just my decision. We would have to look over all the details to see what's best for Mustang.”

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by Scott Wright

Reporter

A lifelong resident of the Oklahoma City metro area, Scott Wright has been on The Oklahoman staff since 2005, covering a little bit of everything on the state's sports scene. He has been a beat writer for football and basketball at Oklahoma and...